Five Reasons I’m Thankful for Homeschool

Thank goodness for our amazing speech therapist who agreed to see him at 8 a.m. twice a week! It stinks leaving the house around 7 to beat traffic, but the last two sessions have been so much more productive!

Time To Slow Down And Savor

We no longer have to get up and rush to get to school by 8 a.m. (just speech twice a week!) I don’t have to worry if he’s had a good breakfast or a good nights sleep. On the mornings we are at home, we can linger in our pajamas. We can take things slow. I can sit on the couch and have my quiet time while Jackson plays with toys, watches cartoons and eats breakfast. There’s no rushing around and that feels like freedom.

My One Word for 2018 is Savor. I hadn’t thought about my word much during the past month or so. I was just trying to survive the stressful days in public school. Things just seemed to be spiraling out of control. I was surviving, not savoring.

Now I can’t help but smile. God knew we’d make the decision to homeschool. He knew this new season would bring many opportunities for me to stop and savor the slow moments with my son – and that’s exactly what I plan to do!

Teaching That Targets Jackson’s Learning Style 

I wrote an entire post about the day we based all our learning around transportation. One way to get the kid to do his school work is by including trucks, trains and planes! He loved it and he wasn’t begging for his Kindle. I call that a win!

I am thankful for the freedom that homeschool is giving us. Jackson doesn’t have to fit into the same box at home that he was forced to fit into in public school. I can plan learning activities that interest him. I can teach him in ways that take his Apraxia, Dyspraxia, ADHD and Sensory Processing Disorder into consideration.

We can learn in the car. We can snuggle and read books on the couch. We can take breaks.

We can go at a pace that is best for him.

The Peace That It Brings

Within a week of Jackson leaving his public school classroom, I saw his whole demeanor change.

The anxiety-ridden and overstimulated boy that was in constant fight or flight mode – he’s gone. The behaviors that were happening at school – they aren’t happening at home. I have my joyful, creative, smart and energetic kid back!

He is thriving and that makes my heart so happy!

He’s at peace and so am I!

I didn’t realize how much stress I was under during those last few (HARD) weeks of school. Never knowing if I was going to get a phone call to come get him, days spent with him at school and the challenging behaviors also took a toll on me.

Yes, homeschool will have it’s own set of stressors, but I can’t imagine them being as challenging as public school was.

He Can Write In All Caps

I’m totally serious about this one y’all!

Handwriting is hard for Jackson. He has made so much progress and he can write all his letters. Here’s the kicker – he chooses to write in all caps! At school they frowned upon that. I don’t know how many times the principal told me she made him erase his words and write them the correct way. Capital letter followed by lowercase letters. I saw this happen on one of the days I was in the classroom with him and it took all I had not to say something.

Here’s the thing – my kiddo can FINALLY write!

I do not care if he writes in all caps or all lowercase. He is writing and you can read it!

My dad is a 62- year-old man who has always written in all caps.

If Pop can do it, Jackson can, too!